Slip cover



L. C. LENZ Aug. 7, 1956 SLIP COVER Filed Deo. 9, 1950 .Il 1A. W, v YA,.m- W mw INVENTOR. Lof-GZ Cf L 611:5

United States Patent SLIP COVER Lionel C.'Lenz, Chicago, Ill., assignerto .Sam Pass, Chicago, Ill.

This invention relates Vto slip covers for use on overstuffed chairs anddavenports for example. v

Generally, ready made rslip covers of the typesfpresently available areprovided with separate bag-like compartments for the removable cushionsof articles of furniture of the character mentioned and require theinsertion of the cushions in the compartments. For the purpose ofavoiding the formation of wrinkles in the upper panels of the cushio-ncompartments, the same generally are dimensioned to provide a rathersnug t which requires the exertion of co-nsiderable elort on the part ofthe user in inserting a cushion without twisting the cover compartmentto an awry relation with respect to the cushion. Likewise, it issometimes rather'ditiicult to remove the cushions from the covercompartments when the latter are to be laundered. Generally, suchcushion cover compartments are provided with drawstrings or the like atthe rear open ends to enable the free edges of such ends to be drawn toa closed or semi-closed condition for retaining the upper rear edge ofthe covers in concealed position While the cushion covers are in use onthe articles of furniture.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved slipcover which reduces the effort required in, and avoids the annoyanceusually accompanying, the placement of conventional slip covers inposition on articles of furniture of the type referred to, particularlywith respect to the cushion covering elements of such covers. While theprovision of cushion covering panels or compartments as attached partsof slip covers has been heretofore resorted to, the present inventionprovides a novel slip cover provided with a cushion covering portion asan integral part of the section of the cover which facilitates placementof the cover in position on an article of furniture as well as theremoval of the cover and which presents a neat, tted appearance whileinuse.

Another more specific object of the invention is to provide a slip coverwhich embodies 'a cushion covering portion as an integral part of thecover or of a cover section and having means for engaging the cushionalong the rear end and sides for releasably retaining the cushioncovering portion in proper position on the cushion while in use.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a slip covercomprising a section formed of connected portions or panels for coveringthe arms, the cushion, the sides of the article of furniture and thefront thereof, such as a chair, and a second cover section for the backrest of the article, which latter section may be separate from orconnected to the other section, but in either event the two sections areso arranged that easy access to the rear of the cushion is provided toenable the cushion cover portion to be secured readily to the cushionWhile the same rests, at least in part, on the cushion base or seat ofthe article.

By means of the present invention, the improved slip cover can be placedin position Without complete removal of the cushion from the article offurniture, since no baglike compartments for the cushion is provided,but on the contrary, the cushion covering portion of the cover 'isprovided with retaining means which can be placed in position on thecushion while the latter lies in normal position or if preferred, can beplaced in position after tilting the rearof the cushion upwardly fromcontact with the forward portion of the back rest of the article offurniture.

The advantages of the novel slip cover as adverted 'to above will beapparent from a consideration of the "following specification andaccompanying drawings which disclose a slip cover rembodying the presentimprovements.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective View of a conventional club chair, viewedgenerally from the front, with a slip cover embodying the presentinvention thereon, parts of :the cover being broken away to reveal theassociate parts of the chair;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the chair and'cover viewed from therear, portions of the cover being shown unsecured in final position forclarity of understanding of the preferred arrangement and overlapping ofthe Parts; r

Fig. 3 is a broken perspective View of the slip cover with the parts inthe same `relative positions shown in Fig. 1, but without illustrationof the chair shown in the latter ligure;

Fig. 4 is a lperspective View of the section of the cover which coversthe arms, seat, and front of the chair, no chair being shown;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the section of the cover which coversthe chair back rest, the section being unatt'ached to the section shownin Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a broken perspective view of a cushion covering portion of theimproved cover in position on a cushion which is shown fragmentarily andwith the cushion and cushion covering portion in an inclined position;and

Fig. 7 is a broken enlarged view illustrating an elastic tape employedat the lower edge of the cushion cover portion.

The particular cover shown in the drawings is of `the two-section type,such as is illustrated in Patent No. 2,459,328 granted to me ianuary 18,1949, for Slip Cover. However, as will be apparent from the followingdescription, the present improvements may be utilized in unitary orone-piece covers, that is, covers wherein theparts are secured togetheras a unit rather than made in independent sections as in the .patentmentioned.

The improved cover selected for the purpose of illustration is designedfor use Aon a club chair, -but the improvernents can be embodied incovers for chairs Lof other styles or for davenports provided withremovable seat cushions. Hence, it should be understood that thefollowing description of details of the illustrated cover is for thepurpose of'completeness 'of disclosure and-not as a limitation of theimprovements to covers for 'articles of furniture of a particular style.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the improved cover is shown havingparts shaped to conform to and cover corresponding portions of the chairwhich generally consists of -a base portion supported by forward legs 10and rear legs 11, arms 12, a seat or cushion support 13 located betweenthe arms, a removable cushion 14 and a back rest 15.

The improved cover comprises two sections designated generally A and B.Section A is the back rest cover section which in the illustratedembodiment -vof the invention is made separate from section AB. Briefly,section A rcomprises a forward Vpanel '.16 for covering the front of the-back rest l5, shoulder panels 17 and-a rearpanel 18 all securedtogether to provide an Iinverted bag-like compartment adapted to bedrawn downwardly-over the back rest ofthe chair to cover the same. Thepanel 16,

as viewed in Figs. 3 and 5 is provided with sufficient material 19 atthe free lower end to enable the same to be tucked into the spacebetween the lower portion of the back rest 15 and the rear end of theadjacent cushion 14 for retention of that portion of the panel 16 inplace during use. The lateral sides of the panel 16 are adapted to betucked into the crevices or spaces between the back rest and the rear ofthe arms. The seam 20, by means of which the rear panel 18 is secured tothe forward panel 16 and shoulder panels 17 of the section A preferablyis of the piping or tubular type and extends to the lower end of thepanel 18 for accomodating a drawstring 21, the lower ends of whichextend from the piping and can be attached to the rear legs 11 of thechair. Advantages of the drawstring construction just briefly describedare more fully set forth in Patent No. 2,392,051 granted to me I anuaryl, 1946 for Slip Cover.

The cover section B comprises connected parts or panels for covering thearms, sides, front and cushion of the chair. For example, the section Billustrated com prises a front panel 22, forward or face panels 23, 23,side panels 24, 24 which cover the sides of the chair and extend up overthe arms 12 and thence downwardly, as inner panels 25, 25, along theinner surfaces of the arms to approximately the level of the cushionsupport or seat 13 where they are joined, by seams later described, to acushion cover portion. The cushion cover portion is indicated generallyby numeral 26 and comprises a top panel 26a, a front panel 26h, sidepanels 26C and a rear panel 26d which are sewed together at thecontiguous ends to provide an inverted box-like enclosure, open at thebottom, for the cushion 14.

The lower edge of the front panel 26b is stitched to the upper edge ofthe front panel 22, or those two panels can be formed of a single pieceof material if desired. The lower edge of each side panel 26e` isstitched to the lower edge of the inner arm cover panel 25 as indicatedby numerals 27, 27. An elastic member or tape 28 extends along orpartially along the lines of stitches or seams 27, 27 and across thelower edge of panel 26d, and is confined in position as by overcaststitches 28a as indicated in Fig. 7, which stitches permit the elasticto elongate and contract. The ends of the elastic tape are anchored tothe side seams 27 with the tape in a stretched or elongated condition,whereby the contraction of the tape effects va gathering of the materialalong the tape as the elastic contracts when the stretching force isreleased. In Figs. 3 and 6, the ends of the elastic tape are shown asanchored along the seams 27, 27 at points 29, 29, but these points maybe located farther toward the front or rear of the cushion by employinglonger or shorter tapes as desired. The purpose of using the elastictape along the lower edge of rear panel 26d and along the lower edges orportions of the edges of the side panels 26e is to cause those edges totend to contract and grip to rear and side walls of a cushion when thepanels 26a, 26e and 26d have been distended in drawing said panels downalong the cushion walls. The rear panel 26d preferably is of adequatevertical dimension to enable it to be drawn manually slightly under therear edge of the cushion as indicated in Fig. 6 as the cushion coverportion is placed on the cushion whereby the tension exerted by theelastic tape 28 retains the rear of the cover portion 26 in place andresists displacement and disarray of the top panel 26a during use.

In placing the cover sections A and B on an article of furniture, thesection B may, if desired, be applied rst by drawing the arm coverportions down over the arms of the article and drawing the rear ends 24aof the side panels 24, 24 to the rear of the articles and securing themby the tie strings 30 or other appropriate fasteners. The cushion coverportion 26 can be placed in position by tucking the side panels 26e, 26Cand rear panel 26d down along and partially under the respective wallsof the cushion, but it has been found more convenient first to elevatethe cushion at the rear end, as shown in Fig. 6 when the side panels 26eand the rear panel 26d can be drawn downwardly to locate the elastictape 28 along the lower edge of the rear of the cushion or preferably tolocate the tape slightly beneath or forwardly of the lower edge of saidrear wall along the bottom surface of the cushion as shown in saidfigure and then restoring the cushion to its proper position. Theelastic tape is of such length that elongation thereof is required in sofitting the cover portion 26 to the cushion and hence offersconsiderable resistance to the displacement of the portion from thedescribed gripping relation on the cushion.

The rear edges of the inner arm cover panels 25 are adapted to be tuckedinto the crevices or spaces 31 between thc rear of the arms and the backrest. After section B has been placed in position, as described, thesection A may then be drawn down into position over the back rest andthe ends of the drawstring 21 secured to the rear legs in tautcondition. The surplus material 19 at the lower end of forward panel 16is tucked into the space between the lower portion of the back rest 15and the rear end of the cushion 14. The rear panel 18, as indicated inFig. 2, preferably overlaps the rear end portions 24 of the side panels24. A strip of pleats 32 preferably is provided along the lower edge ofthe section B which is stitched to the section along the front of thesection and rearwardly along the sides to positions short of the rearlegs, the remaining portions of the strip being free and adapted to beoverlapped at the rear of the chair and secured in position by means ofupholstery pins or the like to provide a neat, finished appearance atthe rear of the article.

While the upholstered cover is of the two section type, the sections maybe combined, if desired, to provide a unitary or one piece slip coverwithout departure from the described invention. For example, the coversections A and B can be secured together by stitching the portions oflower edges of the shoulder panels 17 of section A to portions of therear edges of the arm cover panels 24, 25 of section B which meet at theupper surface of the rear of the arms in the illustrated cover. In sucha one piece cover the free lateral edges of the forward panel 16 ofsection A which extend below the level of the shoulder panels 17 areleft free for tucking into the vertical spaces 31 between the rear ofthe arms of the article and the contiguous portion of the back rest, asin the two section cover shown in the drawing, and the lower end of theforward panel 16 will likewise be free and of adequate length to betucked down at the rear of the cushion as above described. Thus ineither form of slip cover, the inverted box-like cushion cover portion26 is unattached at the rear to the forward panel 16, and fits down overthe cushion and is retained in position on the cushion by the elasticinsert or tape 28 described above. thereby avoiding the use of a coverpanel beneath the cushion as Well as a separate cushion compartment orbag-like enclosure usually constituting an accessory of the conventionalone piece slip cover.

While I have shown and described a slip cover embodying the invention inits preferred form, it will be apparent that changes in the details ofthe cover proper may be resorted to without departure from the spirit ofthe invention defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A slip cover for an article of furniture having a seat, arms, back restand a removable cushion for the scat, said slip cover comprising a frontcovering portion, arm covering portions and a cushion covering portion,said cushion covering portion comprising a top panel and front, side andrear panels secured to and depending from top panel and connectedtogether along the vertical edges thereof to define with said top panelan inverted boxlike compartment adapted to be drawn over a seat cushion,said side panels having lower edges extending longitudinally anddisposed entirely Within a substantially horizontal plane formed by acushion bottom, said lower edges of the side panels each being connectedto the corresponding adjacent portions of the arm covering portions,said front panel being connected along the lower edge thereof to saidfront covering portion, the lower edge of said rear panel being free,and an elastic tape attached to and extending along the entire lowerfree edge of said rear panel and attached to and extending substantiallyalong the greater part of the length of each lower edge of said sidepanels and having each end of the tape anchored to the correspondingadjacent lower edge of said side panels at points near the front of thebox-like compartment thus requiring initial stretching of said elastictape when the box-like compartment is drawn downwardly over a cushion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS CohenDec. 11, 1928 Schimmel Apr. 8, 1930 Schimmel Apr. 8, 1930 Levi Jan. 2,1934 Krasnov Dec. 18, 1934 Fry et al Apr. 2, 1935 Levi June 8, 1937Trubitz July 12, 1938 Krasnov lune 6, 1944 Waranch Aug. 3, 1948 LenzJan. 18, 1949

